Electric switch



Jan. 17, 1928.

F. FAVARGERA ELECTRIC swI'lCH Filed Feb. 19. 1925 tatented Jan. l?, 1923.

UNITED STATES FRANQUIS FAVARGER, GF NEC-IATEL,

SWTZERLAND.

ELECTRIC SVJITCH.

Application filed February 19, 1926, Serial No. 89,407, and in Switzerland March 12, 1925.

This invention relates to an electric switch in which the making` and the breaking` oitl an elect-ric circuit is produced brusquely regardless of the speed of motion ot the control means acting on the switch.

rlhe switch is applicable to all electric installations where it is importantto prevent sparking on making and breaking of a circuit. However, this device is particularly adapted to be applied to electrical apparatuses where a cont-act or contacts are automatically controlled by a control means having a slow7 or a slow periodic movement.

Further objects ot this invention are to simplify the structure, increase the eiiiciency and decrease the cost of production ot devices et this character.

The accompanyin` drawings show by way or" example one complete operative embodiment of this invention.

The single figure of drawing is a vertical elevation in diagrammatic form of applicants invention.

inthe form shown in the drawing the switch controls the exciting circuit of an electro-magnet having` an armature, which winds the drive spring' ot' a time-piece.

Referring to the figure ot drawing` two coils 1 ot the electro-magnet are placed in a circuit 2 supplied from a battery 3. This circuit is opened and closed periodically by means ot a spring` contact d. The electromagnet comprises an armature 5 pivoted at G and subjected to the action ot a spring' 7 tending to rock it clockwise. At the iree end ot the armature is a drive pawl 8 the end ot which engages in the teeth of a ratchet wheel 9 acting' on the drive spring oi.' a. time-piece. rlhis type of mechanism being` well known, it is su'llicient to point out-that the pawl 8 turns the ratchetwheel 9 according as the armature 5 is drawn away from the cores 1 of the electro-magnet under the action et the spring' 7. Each time that the armature 5 is attracted by the cores 1. the drive pawl 8 moves backward on the teeth of the ratchet wheel and its end passes over two or three ratchetwheel teeth before taking up its position behind a tooth. During this operation of the pawl 8 the ratchet wheel 9 is held :trom movement by means of a detent of any desired torni (not shown in the drawing), while the spring' 7 is tensioned anew.

The switch is controlled by the armature o, the movement ot' which is rapid when it is attracted by the cores 1 of the electroinagnet, and which is slow when it is drawn away from the cores of the magnet. For effecting this control the armature 5 at its free end carries a spring 10 and two lateral rods 11 and 12. r1he spring 10 bears against a pin 13 lined on a rocking pawl 1/1 pivoted at 15 to a stationary part of the device. A second pin 1G ixed to the pawl la supports the end of the contact spring l which constantly tends to rock the pawl 1a against the action of the spring 10. The pin 16 is made of electrically nonconductive material. The angular movement oit' the rocking pawl 1d is limited by two fixed pins 17 and 18.

rlie pawl 1d is formed with two diametrically opposed arms radiating from its pivot point. Each arm is terminated by an edge arranged to be retained at the proper moment in a hook et a detent member 19 or 2() which `detent members are constantly urged toward the pawl 1d bysprings 21 and 22, respectively.

lThe detents 19 and 2O are moved against the action of their springs by means of the rods 11 and 12 respectively.carried by the armature 5.

The device as above described in detail, operates in t-he following manner Assuminfr the parts to occupy the position shown in the drawing', the action of spring' 10 is arranged to be greater than that oi spring d so that the pawl 14- is pressed against the pin 17 in which position the contact spring' 4L is maintained in a raised 'position so as to break the circuit 2. According as the ratchet wheel 9Y is turned under the influence oiE the spring 7, the armature 5 and the pawl S, the movement oi the armature 5 away from the electro-mag;- net cores 1 raises the spring` 10 from the pin 13 so that after a given movement it no longer exerts presi-:ure on or contacts with the pin 13. At this moment the contact spring,` 4 rocks the pawl 14 until the end of the upper arm of the pawl 14 becomes engaged in the hook of the detent 19. At this time the circuit 2 is not yet closed, but on the contrai'. the rod 12 is moved away from the detent 2O which under the action of its spring` 22 presses against the end of the lower arm ot' the pawl 14. rl`he armature 5 lill) continues its upward movement so that the rod 11 nally presses against the detent 19 to raise the sam-e and disconnect the upper arm of the paWl 14 from the detent 19 whereupon under the action of the spring contact l the pa-'Wl 14 is quickly and brusquely rocked into the position shown in the figure by dotandV dash lines toa position limited by the stoppin 18. rI'Chis last movement permits the spring contact i to instantaneously close the circuit 2. i

As a result oi'v the above operation the armature iis quickly attracted by the electromagnet. r1`he attraction 01" the armatnre by the. magnet results in the detent 19 being pressed-against the upper yarm ot the pawl la, While the spring 10 Vis pressed against the pin 13 and 'tends to rock the paivl 14 back into its full line position as shown in the dra-Wing, against the action oi the spring contact l.' But' the return movement oi the paivl lil is not possibleat this'inoinent since the end of the lower ariiiot the paivl 111-, is retained by the hooked'end ot the detent Q0. Asa result of 4this condition the spring 10 is tensioned more and more up to the moment when the rod-12 presses against the detent v20 and moves it downwardly so as to release the patvl 14eand thus permit the spring 1() to vact to Arock the paWl 14 and brusquely bring it baci; yto its full line position. rhis moveinentot the paivl 14 through the pin 16 raises the spring contact l and instanta'neonsly `opens the circuit 2.

During the movement of the armature 5 'under 'the attraction of the electro-magnet,

the 'springrpanfl 8 hasinoved backward over the teeth of the ratchet Wheel 9 andV at the saine time the spring 7 has been re-tensioned.

The above `cycle ot operations is thus automatically lrepeated at fperiodic intervals. Having noiv described a complete 'form of my invention, what. I claim is 1. An electric switch comprising a pair of contacts, one being a spring contact, an actuating member, a spring carried thereby, a rocking lever pivotally supported for limited oscillatory movement between said spring contact and said actuatoi spring, said spring members normally engaging said lever at opposite ends of its axis of oscillation and each tending to bias it in opposite directions, the

`normal position of said rocking lever being such that the spring cont-act is maintained separated from its cooperating contact ineinv bei', spring-pressed paivls for normally iiolding said rocking lever in one or the other of its oscillatory positions, and means carried byY said actuating member for alternately releasing said parvis at critical positions ot said actuating member in which tl e actuator spring is or is not effective in overcoming the tension ot' said' soring Contact, for permitting oscillatory movement ot said lOcling lever, instantaneously making or breaking the circuit through release or engagemento' said spring contact.

2. An electric sivitch comprising a pair of contacts, one being a spring contact, an electroinagnet in the switch circuit, lan armature tor said magnet, a spring carried by said armature, a rocking lever pivotally supported igor limited oscillatory movement between said spring contact and said armature spring,

said spring members normally engaging said lever at opposite sides ot' its axis oil oscillation and each tending to bias it in opposite directions, the normal position ot said rocking lever being such that the spring contact vis maintained separated from its cooperating contact member, spring-pressed paivls tor normally holding said lever in one or the other ot its oscillatory positions, and means carried by said armature for valternately releasing said paivls at critical positions of said arn'iature in which the armature Spring is-or is not elective in overcoming the tension oit said spring Contact, for permitting oscilla- .tion ot Vsaid rocking lever, instantaneously making or breaking` thecircuit through releasev or engagement otsaid spring contact.

3./ An' lelectricV switch as claimed in claim o,V

in which a spring is provided for normally holding said armature array from said inagnet, the movement of said armature iii response to said spring being relatively slow compared with its movement diie to energization oi` said magnet.

ln testimony whereof l have signed iny naine to this speciiication. L

rnanoois ravansnn. 

